The Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Heart (MCSH) elected Mother Mary Julie Micosa as its superior general.
The election took place during the congregation’s general chapter held last week at their Generalate House in Lipa City.
Also elected were 1st Councilor, Sr. Virginia Bonajos; 2nd Councilor, Sr. Gwendolyn Condor; 3rd Councilor: Sr. Annaliza Balita; 4th Councilor, Sr. Eugene Berro; and the Finance Officer, Sr. Lubelyn Magpantay.
Mother Julie, born on July 15, 1962, is from Los Baños, Laguna. She entered the congregation in 1980 and had her perpetual profession in 1990.
With a Master’s Degree in Religious Formation from De la Salle University in Manila, most of her apostolates were in the formation of priests and religious.
Among her previous assignments include serving as principal of the St. Francis de Sales Minor Seminary in the Lipa archdiocese and resident staff at the St. John Vianney – Gallilee Center in Tagaytay City.
She also served as member of the General Council and once took the post of a Vicaress, after which she became the Superior General of the congregation for two terms: 2007-2012 and 2012-2017.
During her first term, she initiated the petition for the opening of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of their founder, now Servant of God Alfredo Verzosa.
After her terms as Superior General, she worked as a staff at the St. John Vianney – Gallilee Center where she stayed before her recent election as Superior General.
Mother Julie is to serve in the post as overseer of the whole congregation in the next five years.
Founded in 1923, MCSH is the first congregation to be established by a Filipino native bishop.
Bishop Verzosa had as co-foundress the catechist, Doña Laura Mendoza of Lipa, who also served as the first Superior General.
Involved in the foundational years of the congregation as a spiritual director was the then Father Alfredo Obviar, who became auxiliary bishop to Bishop Versoza.
Bishop Obviar, who was declared Venerable in November 2018, later founded his own congregation with the same charism as the MCSH.
The MSCH will mark the centennial year of its foundation next year.
